In-person Pass

I am Dr. Tracy Powell, the founder and driving force behind, Leading with Compassion. With over a decade of speaking, training, and coaching, I have carved a niche as a Tactical Executive Coach, Practical Leadership Expert, Professional Speaker, and Author. Born and raised in Lamar, South Carolina, and a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina, I bring a wealth of experience, including 16+ years of active-duty service as a Scientist Officer and over 12 years dedicated to speaking and coaching on leadership. My journey is marked by resilience, from overcoming racial discrimination to balancing work and family life, leading me to establish Leading with Compassion as a sanctuary for all organizations, corporations, and associations.​My accolades include being an internationally known, award-winning author and speaker, a Distinguished Toastmaster, and a Certified Mediator. Publications, such as Practical Leadership: Lessons Learned from Mickey and The Leadership Journal, reflect her passion for nurturing leaders who are not only effective but also empathetic and inclusive.

Mallory Herrin is an experienced human resources consultant and industry recognized thought leader, serving as HerrinHR’s CEO and Principal HR Consultant. She is a frequent speaker at HR conferences and the author of Intentional HR: A Revolution in Strategic Thinking. With 20 years of HR experience, she holds certifications from both HRCI and SHRM, and has been named one of the Top 5 Most Influential Women Leaders in HR.

Founder of Spark in the Dark & Co-Founder of HelpLink.

As the founder of Spark in the Dark, a nonprofit connecting individuals in need with resources, I've spearheaded a movement that has empowered over 30,000 members and 18 volunteers across Michigan, facilitating the resolution of over 100,000 needs since 2017. With a mission to enable direct assistance anytime, anywhere, Spark embodies the power of community support.

Recognizing the need for businesses to maximize their social impact, I co-founded HelpLink, a platform revolutionizing corporate philanthropy. With HelpLink, I'm passionate about streamlining corporate giving, ensuring businesses can support local causes while prioritizing the needs of their employees. Our innovative approach fosters a culture of giving within organizations and communities, enhancing brand reputation and driving meaningful change.

As an entrepreneur committed to driving social impact through technology and innovation, I bring over 12 years of experience in marketing, public relations, and nonprofit leadership. Named one of the 2022 "40 under 40" to watch in Northern Michigan and recognized as one of the region's most influential women, I've been honored for my dedication to community building and philanthropy. Additionally, Spark in the Dark was awarded the 2020 Torch of Ethics by the Better Business Bureau and selected as one of 77 organizations worldwide for the 2020 Facebook Community Accelerator, receiving direct training from Meta (Facebook).

Scott is an internationally recognized crisis negotiator, advisor, trainer and keynote speaker. He is known and respected for his experience negotiating in highly charged situations, with high stakes and when the situation requires sensitivity to the human element. Clients, audiences and students alike, find Scott’s teachings, insightful, inspiring and pragmatic.   

Scott worked as a hostage/crisis negotiator with one of the largest regional SWAT teams in the United States for many years before moving into the role of a negotiations speaker and trainer. He has over 20 years of law enforcement experience and retired from a Chicago area police department in 2023 at the rank of Lieutenant. He was trained by in negotiation by the FBI and has studied at the Harvard University Program on Negotiation, at IMD Business School, and he continues to receive training from the world’s top negotiators.  

​Scott is a prolific trainer within the negotiation field and travels the country and around the world speaking to a wide variety of audiences. He has taught negotiations at Harvard University, for the FBI, and has keynoted for companies such as Microsoft and Bosch.  In 2016, he was invited to give a TEDx talk titled “The Secrets of Hostage Negotiators”, which has received over 1 million views.  His visibility as a speaker and educator through TEDx and other venues has reached global status.  
 
Scott currently resides in the Chicago area and is a Partner and co-founder with the Negotiations Collective, where he works with organizations and their leaders on how to have difficult conversations to resolve conflict and increase their influence.